Bretton, Barbara. Casting Spells

Chloe Hobbs is a knitter of almost supernatural powers, and her shop, Sticks and Strings, has been named the number one knitting shop in New England two years in a row. But she’s the only inhabitant of small-town Sugar Maple, Vermont who invites any outside interest. Sugar Maple, the ultimate cozy New England small town, was founded by Chloe’s sorceress ancestor as a haven for all the witches, warlocks, vampires, werewolves, pixies, fairies, and other supernatural beasties under attack by New England’s more mundane residents in places like Salem. A spell woven by that ancestor is maintained by the presence of a Hobbs woma in town, and Chloe is the last. But she is only half-sorceress—her father was human—and the spell is weakening. So the town has been throwing an assortment of hunky supernatural fellows her way, hoping for sparks. Those sparks don’t fly, however, until human police officer Luke McKenzie comes to Sugar Maple to investigate the suspicious death of a human tourist. He’s exactly the wrong man for Chloe, but it’s love at first sight for them both and Chloe’s powers blossom just in time to help protect the town from her greatest rival—a faery queen of terrifying power.

Sweet, cozy, and charming, “Casting Spells” is a quietly pleasant read even for non-knitters.